Snappy 5 m/o puppy

[tabbycat19]

We’ve had our new puppy for eight weeks. Show cocker bitch from a small litter and good breeder.

She was very quiet to begin with but over the past two/three weeks she’s become quite snappy.

She snapped quite aggressively at a large dog and its owner last week which I was concerned about but then she’s instantly back to being very sweet with me.

The main issue is that we have two children 6/8 who love her and are pretty “enthusiastic” with her which doesn’t always go down well!

We start solo training next week so I’m hoping it might iron out the kinks. Having had lots of dogs before I do feel though that their nature is somewhat fixed. I suppose I’m looking for some hope as I’d hate to have to rehome her

What does being 'enthusiastic ' entail?

The main issue is that we have two children 6/8 who love her and are pretty “enthusiastic” with her which doesn’t always go down well!

This really worries me. I take it you mean pulling, not leaving the dog alone, tormenting her, tugging her about, not letting her settle etc? If so, you absolutely need to nip that in the bud - your dog is already showing aggressive behaviour (in your words) and she is five months old.

If you don't manage to get a grip on this, you probably are going to be heading toward a serious bite.

If you've had her 8 weeks and in the last 2/3 she's become snappy it sounds more environmental than anything else. She's not old enough to really have learnt 'fear' yet. Poor thing doesn't sound like a happy, balanced, puppy.

If your kids are stressing her out then she’s going to act up isn’t she? Thinking of potentially rehoming her because you aren’t meeting all her needs is just not on.

Enthusiastic in terms of wanting to be near her and pet her and as they’re young children they’re generally fairly loud.

Puppy is never left alone with them EVER.

There have been two occasions when she’s been snappy/aggressive with of them. One disturbed her while she was sleeping and the other when they tried to pick a dropped crisp that was near her. I was in the room on both occasions but it happens so quickly and I do feel I’m on edge around DC/puppy now.

She’s great 95% of the time but DH is concerned she’s not going to be a lapdog type and that may be a problem.

She’s great 95% of the time but DH is concerned she’s not going to be a lapdog type and that may be a problem.

This, along with your comments about your children, really worries me - she's a cocker spaniel. She's never going to be a lap dog. Yes, she's "show" type but they are still spaniels and still need a fair amount of exercise, stimulation and input from you.

@tabbycat19 I think you need to re-home.

Your dog is already showing guarding behaviour.
Your dog is showing aggressive behaviour to other dogs.
Your children are not respecting your dogs boundaries.

If you re-home her now - to a good breed specific charity - she's young enough a good foster family will be able to manage those issues effectively. If you leave it, you risk something quite unpleasant happening and the older a dog gets the harder it is to change behaviour. I really cannot stress enough that these are not 'kinks' but significant issues. They will not improve - the best you are looking at is management, which means constantly being on guard and watching and waiting.

A dog's nature is not 'fixed', it is learnt from the life it lives. All the issues you are describing, are a result of ownership and the wrong environment. They are nurture, not nature. Some issues are just inherent in particular breeds (retrievers will mouth, Collies will herd etc.), but those are breed issues rather than behavioural ones. Everything you have described is a behavioural issue and is, I am afraid, down to the environment the dog lives in and the breeder.

Unfortunately, it doesn't matter if the DC aren't left alone with her - it can happen in an instant. We get so many dogs into our breed club rescue to be re-homed that have bitten young children and it's almost always been because dog's boundaries are not. This is almost a weekly occurrence for us at the moment. Two dogs in so far this month - both under 18 months, both bit children in the house-hold and both with resource guarding.

Didn’t he do his research on dog breads?

I’d get a behaviourist in as soon as possible. Spaniels can be anxious and they are prone to resource guarding which is very difficult to manage. The crisp incident in particular sounds concerning as resource guarding often starts with food.

I’ve had several cocker spaniels - show and working and some of them certainly wear lap dogs. It was part of those particular pets personalities to be cuddly and want to be petted a lot. Although I’m aware that not all dogs in the breed are the same.

She receives plenty of input from us. Lots of training and plenty of exercise. And despite our children being loud they’re not left to harass the dog or pull her about as we wouldn’t let that happen. They want to spend time with her but it’s obviously stressing her out which explains her recent behaviour.

Did you have your children when you had your other spaniels? I would say they're not the best breed to have with young children as they do have a tendency to resource guard and can be difficult to train.

We always had working cockers but my parents got a show cocker this time thinking he’d be calmer but he was an awful puppy. Quite bitey and he used to growl at times. He has settled now he’s 1 but I still don’t really like him. Wouldn’t really recommend show cockers with young children.

I despite our children being loud they’re not left to harass the dog or pull her about as we wouldn’t let that happen.

If thats true why are they disturbing a sleeping puppy. If you arent prepared to parent your children and protect the dog, you should rehome her

Puppies do bite. How hard is the bite? Our staffie bites but she’s learned bite inhibition, she play bites, doesn’t break skin, just sort of holds your hand in her mouth and gently nibbles of over stimulated or DH has wound her up. She never snaps, she loves cuddling.

Your dog needs a safe place, away from the children. Somewhere quiet. If you cannot provide that rehome before you push your dog over the edge.

Hi OP,

Does the dog have somewhere safe to retreat to, where the kids aren't allowed under any circumstances?
Are you clear that nobody, especially the kids, is ever to take anything from the dog's mouth?
Have you taught her a reliable swap/drop?
Is she allowed to eat in peace with nobody else in the room?

As you say, some spaniels might be lapdogs, but a lot of them really aren't, even show cockers. They are terrible for resource guarding around young kids as kids have a habit of leaving stuff around and then getting cross at the dog for picking it up. That's a recipe for a bite. As others have said she's really quite young for it to be fear, but the fact she's been 'quiet' means it might be. She sounds very stressed (and so do you!)

I think you need to give her lots of space and time and make sure the kids leave her alone for a bit. Let her decompress and grow a bit in confidence. If you can't do that for whatever reason, you might well be heading for real trouble.

Best of luck - I'm sure you love her and would hate to rehome.

I’m mostly just confused tbh…

What do you mean she snapped aggressively at a dog and its owner? Like did she bite them both? Was there something that set it off?

What’s the relevance of her being sweet with you after? Did she redirect from them and bite you before calming down?

Why are children playing and eating next to where she sleeps?

A puppy shouldn’t be sleeping in the same room where the children are, thus removing the opportunity for them to disturb her. Likewise, I wouldn’t have them eating around her either. You’re setting the poor dog up for failure.

@tabbycat19 Your second paragraph of your first post nails it.
Your puppy isn't coping with the busy noisy household. There is no safety, she's overwhelmed and reacting accordingly. Many Cockerpaniels have very sensitive nature unfortunately they are often seen as robust little dogs, but most thrive with a good pattern of busy & quiet times.

You need to make sure your dogs needs are met by providing the training & play (= work) with good rest periods (= quiet times).
Teaching your children to respect the dog, no disturbing or touching unless the dog comes to them, that's the No 1 rule for every dog & child household!
I'm on the fence about the crisps incident. She's a puppy, she found a floor treat and someone wants to snatch it away... as a first, the snappy behaviour is natural. You need to teach the dog (&children) a leave command and then pick it up... and always throw it in the bin!

But I'm with some of the other posters, maybe this dogs temperament isn't suitable for your home and it would be better to return the puppy to the breeder.

If they are good & responsible, they will take her back.

Then wait a few years before getting another cooker or look for another, more laid back and family friendly breed.